Crossword Genius

Something awkward to work out to -- that's horrid, that is! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

toughie

'something awkward to work out' is the definition.
(eg a difficult question)

'to that's horrid that is' is the wordplay.
'that's horrid' becomes 'ugh' (exclamation of disgust).
'that is' becomes 'ie' (short for Latin 'id est', 'that is').
'to'+'ugh'+'ie'='TOUGHIE'

(Other definitions for toughie that I've seen before include "A difficult test" , "DT's new difficult crossword" , "poser" , "Yob" , "Difficult problem" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.